PhD student in Space Physics in Uppsala (dnr: 2.2.1-253/17)

Swedish Institute of Space Physics (IRF) is a government agency that conducts research and postgraduate education in space physics, atmospheric physics and space technology. Many of IRF's projects are run as large international projects in collaboration with other research institutes and space agencies. IRF has about one hundred employees and offices in Kiruna (headquarters), Umeå, Uppsala and Lund.

Swedish Institute of Space Physics, Uppsala, Sweden is looking for a

PhD student in Space Physics

Applications are invited for a PhD student position to study the plasma environment of Mars. Big questions remain regarding the topic – did ancient Mars lose most of its primordial atmosphere in to space, and how can we address this using current day measurements? Specifically, the aim of the project is to develop detailed understanding of electrodynamic processes at the day-night boundary, where steep gradients in plasma density and temperature are found. Intense, varied crustal magnetic fields, along with dynamic fields induced by the solar wind flowing past the planet are also significant here. The new PhD student will work directly with experimental data from both the ESA Mars Express and NASA MAVEN missions.

The position is available at the Uppsala office at the Swedish Institute of Space Physics (IRF), located at the Ångström Laboratory in Uppsala, Sweden, starting in 2018 for a total duration of four years. The PhD student will belong to the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Uppsala University and must therefore fulfill the university requirements. Information on the research education is available at www.physics.uu.se and www.teknat.uu.se. Information on research at IRF Uppsala can be found at www.irfu.se. The Swedish National Space Board funds the position.

Closing date for applications is 31 October 2017. Applications should include a CV, a short (one-page) letter stating research interests and relevant experience, copies of academic transcripts, completed theses or manuscripts and other relevant publications, and contact information for two professional references.